Sabres at Kings
The Buffalo Sabres endured a massive facelift in the offseason when they fired general manager Tim Murray and head coach Dan Bylsma in a bid to turn the team's fortunes around. Four losses in as many games, however, have turned up the frustration level in young star Jack Eichel heading into the Sabres' road contest against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.
"We've got to just figure a way to be sick of losing," the 2015 Hobey Baker Award winner told the Buffalo News after Thursday's 3-2 loss to San Jose. "I know I'm sick of losing. There's a lot of guys that are sick of losing." Signed to an eight-year, $80 million contract extension, Eichel (one goal, four assists) set up both goals on rushes by Jason Pominville (four goals, one assist) on Thursday. While Buffalo began its four-game Western road trip with a stumble, Los Angeles tasted defeat for the first time this season with a 4-3 overtime loss to Calgary in the opener of a four-game homestand. Dustin Brown recorded his 15th career three-point performance (two goals, one assist) on Thursday, and has five points (three goals, two assists) in his last two games.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, NHL.TV, MSG-Buffalo, FSN West (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE SABRES (0-3-1): Like Eichel, Pominville also expressed concern with the team claiming its familiar place along the bottom of the Atlantic Division. "It's a league of results, right?" the 34-year-old Pominville said. "It's frustrating we're not getting the results that we want but I thought our effort was way better and we've got to take that with us." Pominville, who is tied with Evander Kane for the team lead in tallies, scored one goal and set up two others in two games versus Los Angeles last season.
ABOUT THE KINGS (2-0-1): Captain Anze Kopitar recorded his second straight multi-point performance by scoring and setting up a goal versus Calgary and has five points (three goals, two assists) in his last two games. Coach John Stevens credited Kopitar and Brown's ability to work well together as reasoning for the fast start out of the gate. "(Brown) and Kopi have a long history of being good together. They’ve been great together all training camp," Stevens said. "(Brown is) a net-front guy that we want on the power play that's creating a lot for us, playing a power game, and with that comes confidence." If only their success would rub off on the rest of the players, who have combined for just three goals this season.
OVERTIME
1. Los Angeles G Jonathan Quick owns a 5-1-0 mark with three shutouts and a 1.22 goals-against average in his career versus Buffalo.
2. Sabres G Robin Lehner owns a 1-3-0 career mark versus the Kings despite sporting a .921 save percentage.
3. Los Angeles is 0-for-16 on the power play while Buffalo has converted on two of its 16 opportunities with the man advantage.